Bearded vulture captive breeding: Old
ladies come to the rescue

Captive-breeding is a (difficult) art, but in the bearded vulture
captive breeding network, managed by the VCF, and which is at the base of our reintroduction-restocking projects, this art is now assuming elaborate forms – result of three decades of
experience.

This year we are calling two old ladies to the rescue. These two
very old bearded vultures would probably not be able to produce viable eggs or chicks due to old age, but nevertheless they were successfully paired at the Richard Faust bearded vulture
specialized captive breeding center (Austria), co-managed by the EGS and VCF, to serve as foster parents. One of them was born in 1978 and is one of the first descendants from the old Alpenzoo
Innsbruck breeding pair. She could be successfully paired with a 30 years old male. The second female is two years younger and descendant from the old La Garenne breeding pair, and was paired
with a 32 years old male. Both pairs have laid a clutch, with low probability that the eggs are fertile. But all four birds have a long breeding history giving us two new potential foster pairs
in case a surplus of chicks.

Bearded vulture chicks display aggressive behavior while they are
in the nest, which results in the death of the younger sibling when there are double clutches. This obligatory behavior, named “cainism”, is present during the whole nestling period and so it is
impossible to rear two chicks together in the same nest. In those cases, we use foster pairs for the surplus second chicks. Consequently, all birds included in the captive breeding network are
used for reproduction, also injured birds with motor problems and very old birds although they have become infertile. Their breeding experiences are very value because they can secure successful
chick rearing, even when they become infertile. But this is only possible if the birds can be stimulated to reproduce, in other words they must be paired. Consequently, as soon as one adult bird
loses its partner, we try to find rapidly an adequate partner for not losing the rearing potential of the experienced bird.

The big goal of the Bearded Vulture captive breeding programme (EEP) is to get adequate
chicks for reintroduction projects, that show the same behavioral patterns as their wild conspecifics when they become adult, and are capable to survive in the wild without human help and able to
reproduce when they arrive to their sexual maturity. Only natural reared chicks fulfill this aim. Quality before Quantity – and for that some old ladies can help!

Great article. Really nice to know older birds still have a part to play. Really enjoyed experience of seeing migration from Gibraltar straights in 2015. With escorted guide Bob.Sue my wife located
our first Egyptian Vulture.